Black Decker Corp

Black & Decker Corp. said it plans to eliminate 400 jobs, or about 1.8% of its global work force, as it reported a decline in fourth-quarter earnings and sales, citing a slowing U.S. economy and a strong dollar. The maker of power tools also said that first-quarter sales would be unchanged or modestly lower, resulting in earnings that will be flat or down at a mid-single-digit rate. In the fourth quarter, Black & Decker's profit fell 30% to $80.1 million, or 98 cents a share, on a 6.

* Black & Decker Corp., for the first time in its 90 years, is without a Decker. Former Chairman and Chief Executive Alonzo G. Decker Jr., son of the co-founder and a director for 60 years, retired, the company said. Decker, who turns 93 on Jan. 18, started working at the world's biggest power-tool maker at 14. He started his full-time job in 1930 after earning an electrical-engineering degree from Cornell University.

* Black & Decker Corp., for the first time in its 90 years, is without a Decker. Former Chairman and Chief Executive Alonzo G. Decker Jr., son of the co-founder and a director for 60 years, retired, the company said. Decker, who turns 93 on Jan. 18, started working at the world's biggest power-tool maker at 14. He started his full-time job in 1930 after earning an electrical-engineering degree from Cornell University.

Emhart Corp. said Monday that it had agreed to be acquired by Black & Decker Corp. in a $2.8-billion takeover to thwart a hostile $2.4-billion buyout attempt by an investor group that includes oil heir Gordon P. Getty. The $40-a-share agreement, unanimously approved by the boards of both companies, came weeks after Farmington, Mass.-based Emhart spurned the unsolicited $35-a-share offer from the Getty group, known as Topper LP. Peter L.

Black & Decker Corp. has agreed to settle government charges that the company claimed some of its residential lock products were "All American Made" when they actually contained many foreign parts and were assembled abroad. The Federal Trade Commission charged in a statement Thursday that Irvine-based Kwikset Corp., a Black & Decker subsidiary, used false or misleading advertising and packaging for its lock products in violation of the government's "Made in USA" standard.

Two units of Black & Decker Corp., the world's No. 1 maker of power tools, accused rival Masco Corp., the top U.S. maker of bathroom fixtures, of infringing on two patents for door-lock latch designs. Irvine-based Kwikset Corp. and Delaware-based Emhart Inc., say in a suit filed last week in federal court in Los Angeles that they own the rights to patents awarded in 1983 and 1987 for the latches, which enhance security. The companies contend that Masco, based in Taylor, Mich.

Thousand Oaks-based Amgen Inc. is among 15 stocks Salomon Smith Barney Inc. is betting on to be attractive investments in the coming year. The latest edition of Salomon's "Ten+ Exceptional Names," an annually revised portfolio of stocks, is based on the recommendations of the firm's industry analysts. Last year's list gained 31% through the 12 months ended June 30, beating the 28% price gain for the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index over the same period.

Laid-off Price Pfister Co. workers announced plans Thursday to launch a nationwide boycott of the prominent faucet maker's products and those of its parent company, Black & Decker. The workers, renewing charges of inadequate severance pay, gathered at a dilapidated North Hollywood strip mall to map out boycott strategy and promote a protest march scheduled for Sunday at the Pacoima plant.

Monsanto Co. said Friday that its fourth-quarter earnings rose 1.1%, in line with expectations, to cap a year in which the company moved to shed its remaining chemicals business and establish itself as a dominant force in agricultural biotechnology. Profit from operations rose to $90 million, or 15 cents a share, from $89 million, also 15 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. The results were just short of the 16-cents-a-share forecast by analysts. St.

Black & Decker Corp.'s stock was beaten black and blue by investors Tuesday after the maker of power tools and household appliances predicted lower-than-expected profit for the next two quarters. Disappointing sales of its hand-held power tools and premium flashlights, competitive price cutting across several product lines and ongoing weakness in the European economy are taking their toll on sales and profit growth, Black & Decker said. The Towson, Md.

Litton Industries Inc., a Woodland Hills-based maker of electronic systems, has agreed to buy PRC Inc. from the Black & Decker Corp. for about $425 million in cash. PRC, based in McLean, Va., will have estimated 1995 sales of $720 million. PRC designs computer information systems for government and businesses. The purchase will allow Litton to produce the software for its electronic command systems in-house rather than hire subcontractors, said Litton spokesman Bob Knapp.

Black & Decker Corp. said it will sell PRC Inc., an information technology and services unit, to Woodland Hills-based Litton Industries Inc. for $425 million. PRC, based in McLean, Va., provides computer systems integration as well as systems engineering, management consulting, software development and facilities management. It is expected to have 1995 sales of $720 million. Black & Decker said the sale will allow it to reduce debt and focus more on key businesses.